Apparatus for injection molding



Sept.19,19444 T'. F. STACY Em 2,358,354

APPARATUS FOR INJECTION MOLDING l Filed oct. 1i, 1941 l /9 65450 3 2 n l 7 +4.- ffqf /3 @dfgv i SMM/ff I F7@ /f A@ M f/ www A 75 4 .f Y 4 y `/Z zy i 4% J4 V5 25? ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. i

'UNITED s'r-.rrizs 4P'A'iiarsrr 5 oFFicn- :naam

p maneras ron mismos Momma Thomas l'. Stacy, Pilllll, 0hio, and Joseph E. Stewart, Detroit, Mich., assignors to The French Oil Mill Machinery Company, Piqua, Ohio Application october-'11, 1941, soria No. l414.620

(ci. is-so) 'I'his l invention relates to injection molding, and particularly to the heating lof the molding material to reduce it to fluid form during its transfer into a mold. In injection molding as heretofor carried out, dilculties have Ibeen experienced in satisfactorily heating the molding material during its transfer to the mold, owing to the vi'act that while most of the molding material was liqueiied by the heat, some of the solid particles `thereof remained in suspension in the liquid portion, and were carried over in solid form. into the mold which produced a defective molded article. To liquefy the molding material and retain it liqueed for too long a period of time, or to overheat the molding material is also obje@ tionable in many cases, so that it is desirable to keep the time in which the molding material is in iluid form to a minimum and yet insure that all` parts of the molding mat'erlalare fully liquefied before introduction into the mold.

v An object of the invention is to provide improved means for heating the molding material during its movement into the mold in a :i o 1^ to be certain that the molding material is fully liqueed, but not overheated, while keeping to a minimum the interval in which the molding material is subjected to heat. l

Another object of the invention is toprovide an improved heating devicegor injection molding apparatus which will ,Y `e conversion of all Y parts of the molding material ot each charge into liquid form before introduction into the mold, without increasing the heating temperature and without increasing the size of the heating form -or the interval during which it is heated, and

which will be relatively simple,l eillcient, compact, rapid, practical, 4and inexpensive.

Other obiectsand advantages will be apparent vation through the same. the section being taken approximately along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Pig. 5 is another transverse, sectional elevation through the same. the section being taken approximately'along the line l-l of Fig. 1; Fig, 6 is another transverse, sectional elevation of the same, lthe section being taken approximately along the line l--i of Fig. 1; and

from the following description of an embodiment of theinvention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is -a longitudinal sectional elevation through a heated device or form comprising part of an injection molding device, constructed in accordance with this invention and also suitable for performing the improved method in accordance with this invention:

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation through the same, the section being taken approximately elonstheline r--z or Idar;

Pig. 3 is another transverse, sectional eleva non through the same, the section boing taken approximately along the line 8 4 oi Fig. l;

is'still another transverse, ele

Fig. 7 is a sectional plan o'f a portion of the same, with the section being taken approximately along the line `|l of Fig. 3 to show certain details of construction.

In the illustrated embodiment oi the invention, the heated form IB abuts against the measuring and delivering device Ii. The device il is provided with a recess I 2 in the end against which the heated form abuts, and the heated form has an end projection which sets into the recess I2 and properly aligns Athe form i0 and device I i.

The form lli' is removably connected to the device i I in any suitable manner, such as by screws i8 which pass through a iiange on the heated form and are threaded into the bcy of the delivering device Il. The heated form |40 includes tubular sleeve it which, at one end, has an external peripheral ilange through which the screws I8 are passed and which at its other end has an internal, peripheral flange i5. The end of .this sleeve i4 with the ilange through which the screws Il'pass is provided in its end face with a countersunk recess il which extends entirely around, opens into, and is concentric with the bore Il of the sleeve.

A bushing il extends vthrough the end 'opening in the sleeve il formed by the internal annular iiange i5 and closes that opening, and this bushing has, at its inner end, an outwardlyextendingilange l! which ts the bore I1 of the sleeve it andl abuts against the inner side face of the ilange it so as to limit the movement of the'bushing ll in a direction along, but out-` wardly of, the sleeve. The bushing I 8 extends ouwardly beyond the' nange i! of the sleeve i4, and has a passage 20 from end to end. The inner end of this passage is frustro-conical with its larger base forming the end ot the passage at the inner end face ofthe bushing. The smaller base of the frustro-conicai zone of the passage, is disposed intermediate the ends of the bushing and opens into a somewhat larger but threaded passage or bore 2| in which is nozzle 22. v

The nomic has a tapered passage 2l from end to end. with kthe larger end thereof coincident with the small base of thei'rustro-conical pasthreaded one end of a also fits the bore I1 is. disposed at against the inner end face of the bushing I8 within bore I1, and th'e abutting faces of the baille plate 25 member 31. This circular row of apertures 39 is approximately concentric with the central aperand the inner end face of the bushing I8 have aV A cooperating annular tongue and groove connec# tion so as to be in slightly telescopic'relation with each other. In the illustrated example, the inner end face of bushing I8 is provided with -an annular groove 26 which is concentric with the axis of the passage 20, and the baille plate 25 has an annular rib 21 which enters and fills the groove 26, so as to interlock the baille plate 25 to the end of the bushing I8.l The baille plate 25 is provided on its end face toward the bushing I3 with a conical projection 28,` the base of which is approximately coincident with the in-` ner end face of the bushing I8l andlconce'ntric with the passage 20. Thus this conical projection 28 extends from the plate 25 into the frustroconical passage zone of the passage in the bushing I8 to provide in the bushing I8 a converging annular passage in which the direction of convergence is outwardly of the bushing I8.

` The plate is provided with a plurality of small rapertures 29, which extend therethrough from face to face and are arranged in a circular row about the large base oi.' the conicalprojection 28.

Abutting against the plate 25 is another baille l plate 30 which also fits the bore I1 and abuts against the plate 25. The plate 30 has an anmaar rib` 3| on its face abutting the plate 25,

`the plate 25. The face of the plate 25 against which the center zone of the plate 30 abuts is provided with an annular groove or recess 34 which is aligned with the circular row of apertures 29, and also with a center recess 35 which ls aligned with the smaller end of the passage 33. in the platenill.l The face of the plate 25 having recess 34 -is Lalso provided with radially extending grooves 36 which connect the annular groove 34 with the center recess 35 to provide a plurality of passages that connect the smaller end of the passage 33 in the plate 30 with the annular recess 34 that opens into the circular row of apereV tures 29. 'I'he latter in turn open into the larger base end of the tapered passage at the ,inner end of bushing I 8.

Abutting against the plate 30 is a tubular member 31 which also has an annular rib on its face abutting plate `3Il entering a corresponding annular recess in the abutting i'ace of plate 35 so as to interlock the member '31 with the plate 30. This member 31 is provided in its right hand end face,` Fig. 1, with a large recess or cavity 33 having tapered side walls leading to a bottom of smaller diameterthan the open large end of the recess. The member 31l also has a circular row of small apertures 39 which extend from the bottom of the recess I8 to the opposite face of the ture or passage 33 of the plate 30. The face of plate 30 against which member 31 abuts is provided with an annular groove 40 which is aligned with 'the circular row of apertures l39, and which opens into those apertures. Plate 30 also is provided with a plurality of radially extending grooves 4I. which connect the annular groove 46 with the passage 33,l shown clearly in Fig. 4.

Abutting against the member 31 is a member 42 which has a tapered projection 43 on the face abutting member 31. This projection extends into the recess 38, abuts against the bottom of that recess within the circular row of apertures 39 and its free end is provided with a tongue or boss 44 which enters and lls an aligned shallow recess in the bottom wall of the recess 38, so as to form an interlock between the members 42 and 31. The projection 431s vspaced 'from the wall of the recess 38 so as to form a converging tubular passage. The member 42 is provided with a circular row of apertures 45 which extend from face to face on the outward side of the projection 43.

Within and fitting bore I1 of the sleeve I4 is still another member 46 which abuts against the Y right hand face of the member 42, and which at its right hand end in Fig. 1 is provided with an outwardly extending, peripheral flange 41 which an interlock between the heatedv form and the member I I. The flange 41 is xed in position in the sleeve I4 in any serviceable manner such as by screws 48 that pass through the flange 41 and into lthe abutting end ofthe sleeve I4, and, if desired an annular gasket or shim 49 may be disposed between the flange 41 and the adjacent end of sleeve I4.

`The member I I is provided with a delivery passage 50 along which the charges or batches of molding material is divided, solid form are moved by increments and the member 46'is provided with a passage 5I which is aligned with, and of the same size as, the abutting end of passage 50 in member Il. The passage 5I at some distance from its junction with the passage 50 becomes progressively larger so as to provide a diverging zone 52 which at its larger end or b ase is aligned with and opens into the circular row of apertures 45 in the member 42. 'Ihe member 42 is provided at its right hand end in Fig. 1, with a tapered projection 53 which extends into the passage 5I a slight distance beyond the small end of -diverg' ing zone 52. 'I'he projection 53 is spaced from the wall of the passage 5I and the wall of zone material', received from' passage 50 through a tortuous path to the nozzle 22 from which it is discharged into the mold in a manner well understood in injection molding. The material as Y 2,358,354 :delivered by passage 50 -is insolid but divided condition and the form lll is heated in any suitable or usual manner such as by the application of external heat or by heating elements within.

the parts comprising the form I0, or by providing steam ducts running through the parts comprising the form I0. The exact manner in which theform l is heated is immaterial in the present'invention and since the means for such heatingare well known i-n the art, adisclosure thereof has been omitted in the interest of brevity. Because of the heating of the parts comprising the form I0, the walls of the tortuous passage The material moving along the passage I dil vides into a tubular form of shallow thickness which'is spread by the projection 53 until it reaches the circular row of apertures 45 in the member 42, and then the mass divides and passes through 42 as a plurality of smallcylindrical streams. These small cylindrical streams then are recombined in the converging passage 38 and form a tubular stream with shallow thickness which is delivered to the circular row of apertures 39 in the member 31. 'Ihe apertures again divide the stream into a plurality of small cylindrical streams which recombine in the annular groove 40 in the baille plate 30 but promptly separate again, into a plurality of smaller streams which pass along the radially extending grooves 4I in the face of the plate St.

These radially moving streams again recombine as they reach the larger end of the passage 33 and pass through the converging passage 33 into the recess 35 in a face of the plate 25. The stream is then again subdivided into a plurality of radially moving streams' which are conducted by the grooves 3B outwardly to the recess 34' where they recombine and at once are redivided into a plurality of small cylindrical streams that pass through the apertures29 in plate 25. The small streams leaving the apertures 29 in plate 25 recombine as they enter the larger end of the converging passage 2li and form a converging stream that is delivered to nozzle vpassage 23. The molding material, which is now entirely liquefied is delivered to the mold For convenience of reference the approximate beginning .of the heated zone is designated by the letter A in the passage 5|, and the approximate endof the heated zone is designated by the letter B inthe passage 2t of the bushing i8.

It will be noted that thestream of material received from the passage 50 is iirst spread out as a thin, relatively tubular mass in the passage zone 52, then divided into small cylindrical streams in apertures 65, recombined, and speeded up in passage 38, redivided and further speeded up in apertures 39, recombined -in groove 43, given an abruptand approximately right angular change in direction' and subdivided, then.

moved radially along the plate 30 in grooves 3l until the restricted center passage 33 is reached rf'here the entire stream is united and discharged through the restricted and convergingly tapered' divided as they leave the `passage 33. They are I also given an 'abrupt approximately right angular change of direction as the material passes through the. groove 34 and enters the circular row of apertures 29. 1

A The succession of abrupt,vapproximately right angular changes of direction in the iiow of the molding material occurs near the end of the passage of the stream through the heated form I0, and after the larger part of the molding material has been reduced to iiuid form, so that the ow through such abrupt, tortuous passages produces 'an eddying of the fluid that causes any solid particles of the molding material thatmay be carried in suspension in the uid part of the molding material to be brought near the outside surface of the stream or streams and thus be heated from the passage walls. Any desired number of baille plates 25 or 30 may be employed in order -to give suillcient abrupt changes in direction to the stream of molding material, to insure full conversion of the entire stream into liquid condition before it reaches the nozzle 22.

It will also be observed that these abrupt, sharp changes in the direction of iiow of the stream of molding material occur in the last half of -the travel of the material through the heated form as the material rapidly approaches and leaves the very restricted passage 33 in the baille plate 30, and after a sufcient amount of .the molding material in the stream has been with the heated walls of the passage, Where they are fully liquefied and' rendered fluid before reaching the nozzle. This insures that no solid parts of the molding material will be carried in suspension into the mold with resulting defects in the molded articles.

In'order to reduce the friction or resistance caused by the subdivision of the moving stream of molding material into smaller streams at passages'or apertures 29, 39, and 65, the walls between the apertures at the entrance ends thereof will be bevelled oi or tapered as at 54 in Fig. 7.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the molding material which is delivered in charges orincrement's through passagel, will be first heated While moving relatively slowlyv and without abrupt changes in direction of ilow or movement. until the molding material becomes reasonably fluid and' then it is given such an intimate mixing with abrupt changes of direction of flow with increased rate of flow that no solid particles of the molding material can reach y the. nozzle 22. It will also be observed that this is laccomplished without increasing the temperature of the component parts of the heating form, and without overheating any part of the moldy ing material.

n win also be apparent that with this inven'- f tion, the pocketing of heated material, which would eventually lose its plasticizing agent and burn. thus contaminating the whole, is avoided. All particles of the molding material must be` kept moving. y

It will be understood that various changes in Y the details and arrangements o'f parts, and in the steps of the improved method, whichhave been herein described and illustrated in order to `explain the nature of the invention, may be of a heating device and advanced by increments of movement therethrough where they are liqueed .and delivered in a liquid condition as a stream, that improvement in the heating device which comprises a form having a heated passage extending in a generally lengthwise direction'therethrough for said molding material and in which the material is heated in transit, said passage at a zone thereof between the limits where lthe heating begins and ends including portions which extend approximately transversely to said lengthwise direction and connect by abrupt corners with contiguous portions of the passage to mix the material passing the said zone and bring unliqueed particles suspended in the liquefied portion of the molding material into proximity to the walls of said passage to facilitate complete liquecation ofthe molding material in said passage.

2. In an injection molding device of the type in which charges of theA molding material are introduced in divided solid form into one end of a'heating device and advanced by increments of movement therethrough where they are liqueed and delivered in a liquid condition as a stream. that improvement in the heating device which comprises a form having a heated passage therethrough for said molding material and in which the material is heated in transit, said passage at a zone thereof between the limits where the heating begins and ends being con-` stricted and at both sides of and in close proxin claim 3 in which the faces of said flange and the faces of said form at the ends of said nontubular passage, cooperate to form a plurality of individual channels along both faces of said flange and running in the directions generally radially of the axis of said non-tubular passage stream to a mold, that improvement in the heatixnity to the constriction having connecting pasl sage portions disposed at relatively sharp angles to one another to cause abrupt changes in direction of flow in a manner to Amix the material passing the constriction and bring unliquefied particles suspended in the liquid portion of the molding material into proximity to the walls of said passage to facilitate complete liqueflcation of the molding material vin said passage.

3. I n an injection molding device of the type in which charges of the molding material are introduced in divided solid'form into one end of a heating device and advanced by increments of movement therethrough where they are liqueiied and delivered in a liquid condition as a stream to a'mld, that improvement in the heating device which comprises a hollow heating form with an inlet at one end, a delivery nozzle-.connection at the other end, and a plurality of thin, tubular passage zones connected in series to one another by a non-tubular passage zone, to form a passage between inlet and said nozzle connection, and an annular flange projecting into said non-tubular passage zone from the periphery of the latter beyond the adjacent ends of said tubular zones to cause abrupt changes in the direction of flow and eddying of said stream in aradial direction while moving from one tubular zone to the other,

whereby any unliquefled particles in suspension in the liquefied material passing said non-tubular zone will be brought into closer heat exchanging relation to the walls of said passage zones and complete liqueflcation of the moldingmaterial aided.

4. I he molding device substantially as set forth 'I6 ing device which comprises a sleeve having an inturned flange at one end and an unrestricted opening into its other end, a bushing disposedl within said sleeve to project through its said one end and having within the sleevean outwardly extending flange to engage the inturned flange of said sleeve toprevent ejection of said bushing by pressure within said sleeve, said bushing having a passage therethrough from end to end, the outer end of said passage being formed to receive and hold a delivery nozzle, the inner end portion of said passage being approximately conical with its base toward the inner end of the sleeve, a plate within the sleeve and abutting flat against the inner end of said member and having a somewhat conical projection extending into said conical passage but spaced from the walls thereof, said plate having a circular row of apertures from face to face outside `of the base of said projection, a second plate abutting flat against said first plate and having an aperture therethrough from face to face within an area aligned with said base of said projection, a member abutting against said second plate and having a circular row of apertures therethrough concentric with said aperture in said second plate but spaced radially therefrom a substantial distance, the abutting faces between said first and said second plates, and between said second plate and said member, having between them a centralchamb'er aligned with said passage in said second plate, an.annular recess spaced radially away from said chamber but approximately aligned with said adjacent circular row of apertures, and radially progressing grooves connecting said central chamber and said annular recesses, providing abrupt changes in direction of flow as the molding material approaches and leaves said second plate and said passage therethrough, and means type in which molding material in divided solid form is introduced into one end -of a heating device and advanced therethrough and by which the material is liquefied and delivered in a liquid condition to a mold, that improvement in the heatingdevice 'which comprises a hollow heating form having an inlet, a nozzle' connection distant therefrom, and a passage for the material from said inlet to said nozzle connection, a baffie plate arranged transversely to the lengthwise direction of said passage and having a central aperture extending therethrough, members arranged at and abutting opposite faces of said plate and each having a plurality of non-central apertures therethrough, the abutting faces of said plate and members forming radially progressing recesses which connect said central aperture of the plate with said non-central apertures of said members and together with said central and non-central apertures constitute portions of said passage'or the material and act to cause abrupt changes in the direction of ow of theI material through said device and aid in complete liquecation of the molding material.

7. An im'ection molding heating device according to claim 6, in which said flow passage for the molding material is constricted in its delivery direction at the inlet and delivery sides of said baie plate.

8. In an injection molding device of the type in which charges of themolding material are introduced in divided solid form into one end of a heating device and advanced by increments of movement therethrough where they are liqueiedv and delivered in a. liquid condition as a stream, that improvement n the heating device which comprises a form having a heated passage extending in a generally lengthwise ldirection therethrough for said molding material and in which the material is heated in transit, said passage at a zone thereof between the limits THOMAS F. STACY. JOSEPH E. STEWART, 

